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Lagavulin 8

Writer's picture: S&PS&P

Back to back Lagavulin reviews. We've got a cask strength 12 year old coming in a few weeks as well. This is a distillery that's really got a feel to it. I'm not sure if it's their marketing or if they've marketed around something that's inherently there, but Lagavulins have consistently felt like a log cabin Christmas sweater night time cold outside fire place father and son type of scotch.


We sniff around.


Kyle and Trevor start us off with pear and floral, which granted might be there, but the rest of us are surprised since what really jumps out here on the nose the clean Lagavulin peat smoke and the brine.


For Simon this is all about the smoky salty lemons in equal balance. He can't see the pear, or fruit in general. Scott can.


It's a smooth nose, despite the higher proof 48%.


The nose isn't particularly complex, but it hits some nice flavors very cleanly and distinctly.


We cheers.


For Simon it follows through. The same smoky salty lemons, with medium spice.


There's a debate whether we consider the heat low or medium on this one, and whether we would consider this a smooth scotch. There's some of us on both sides.


Kyle gets a bit of a honey or molasses kind of syrup.


Scott doesn't get much sweet flavors. He gets salty smoky bitter. Gets a bitter finish.


The smoke isn't dominant in the way it is for the Lagavulin 16. The 16 is so smoky it's almost unidimensional. The 8 is younger and lively, Scott says energetic and sparky. Sean says the 16 is more rich and warm, like smoldering embers. The smoke on the 8 is more balanced and consistent through the nose, the pallet, and the finish.


The flavors are full, balanced, rounded, clean.


Ratings: Scott starts us off. He goes 92, which makes it his highest rating thus far. He will always come back to this, expect it on his shelf at all times. This is well done, and he rates it a small notch higher than the Laga 16. For Simon the balanced and clean salty smoky lemons that pervade the whole experience from nose to finish really hits a sweet spot of flavors. It lacks the complexity he looks for to get into the 90s. He goes 88, again a small notch higher than the 16. Sean goes 90. Easy drinking, nice balance and range of flavors. Trevor goes 88, the flavors hit a sweetspot, but it's too consistent to get into the 90s, Trevor favors dynamic scotches that morph from nose to finish. Kyle finishes off at 86, nothing more to say. We average out to 88.8.


Overall, if you're some ways into your whisky journey and you've yet to try this, put it on the top of your hitlist. This takes number 3 out of our 35 bottles rated thus far, but it takes the Crown on our value rating, at 90.8. This costs $90 CAD in Ontario, and although that's not cheap, it punches in far above it's price point. Highly recommend and we're all going to stock up on this.


Cheers!

The S&P Crew

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